1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a bicycle saddle, and in particular to a bicycle saddle providing increased rider comfort and bodily protection.
2. Description Relative to the Prior Art
The search for a satisfactory bicycle saddle is motivated by the prevalence of seat related pelvic and perineal distress or injury suffered by both male and female cyclists. A thorough discussion of these physical problems and their relation to bicycle saddle characteristics may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,739 issued to Dodge et al. To attack these problems, the search for an improved seat extends back at least into the latter part of the 1800's, and the prior art developed over this time period discloses an abundance of saddle designs, geometries and materials aimed at alleviating the cyclist's seat induced difficulties.
One saddle feature disclosed in the prior art is the midsection being the lowest point between the rear and nose of the saddle. Such a hammock like configuration encourages the rider to slide forward settling in the low midsection, which in turn brings soft tissue areas in greater contact with this narrow area of the saddle on which most of the rider's weight is now concentrated. If the rail mounts are at the extreme ends of the saddle, all downward flexing occurs at the midsection increasing the hammock effect. The midsection may be softened with gel pads, and cut-outs made in the base of the saddle to alleviate soft tissue compression, but nothing is as soft as soft tissues, and such structural features do not adequately provide solutions to the problems.
Today cycling as a recreational and as a competitive sport has grown both in popularity and in sophistication. Today's bicycles incorporate high tech mechanical elements, and are constructed of sturdy, light weight space age materials. These bicycles provide the opportunity for long distance touring and long distance racing over routes that vary in terrain and in the physical demands made on the cyclist. However, the discomfort of presently available saddles continues to limit total enjoyment of the sport. The present invention discloses a bicycle saddle adapted for improved cyclist comfort and safety for multiple modes of cycling usage.